The motor vehicle industry has provided in recent years a number of new type of vehicles which respond to the changing needs of consumers. One type of such new vehiclel is a van which is useful for recreation and comfortable travel on the road. Such vans are converted into recreational vans by the addition of a number of features. The features include carpeted side walls and ceiling, special bucket seats and seats which are convertible for sleeping, tables, and other equipment including improved stereo systems, televisions, video recorders, lights and the like. Such a van is generally known as a "conversion van" because of the manufacturing process required to change the standard van into a recreational vehicle having many of these added features. Often, these conversion vans are assembled at specialized manufacturing plants which process standard massmanufactured van bodies and frames.
Typically, such conversion vans include a raised roof, known as a cap, having a generally aerodynamic roof line and sloping sides. Some roofs have one portion raised higher than another. The portions are interconnected by a sloping, forward-facing panel. The sloping sides, and particularly the sloping forward panels, may include windows. A number of ornamental styles and designs are known.
The caps typically are formed in molds with fiberglass and resin materials. The caps are shells having a roof, depending sides and an open bottom. Many known caps are made from honeycomb-like paperboard which is coated with fiberglass. The resulting cap is rigid, yet lightweight.
During the manufacturing process of converting a van, the existing roof is cut-off at the roof-line, above the drip rail of the van. This leaves a small upright flange which cooperates with the drip rail to receive the conversion cap. A gasket is placed on the roof line of the van and the cap is placed on top of the gasket. A band is seated in the drip rail against the cap. The band overlaps the cap and screws are driven through the band, the cap, and the flange portion of the side wall to secure the cap to the van.
Recent changes in regulations covering motor vehicle construction, especially those promulgated by the United States Federal Government, require more secure attachment of a stronger cap to such vans to better withstand the forces which may be incurred during a collision or roll-over of the van. Some known caps and known securing methods do not satisfactorily meet these new requirements.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for a stronger cap and an improved connection of the cap to a conversion van.